Wire-feeding mechanism



April 14, 1931. A. P. J. SOEPNEL ET AWL 1,301,119

WIRE FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 16, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet l FLgJ.

III

1 l I I l l l L Inventors: Andre FiJfjoepnel, WLI lem HfitLgtep b5TheLrAttor'neg.

April 14, 1931.

A. P. .1. SOEPNEL ET AL 1,801,119

WIRE FEEDING MECHANI SM Filed Feb. 16, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 MY ww v m e6 Got n 5 m n. eJ U E M m April 14, 1931. A. P. J. SOEPNEL ET AL1,801,119

v WIRE FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 16, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 70 l I O:H

lnventoPs:

AndrEUSoepnel,

TheifAttohneg.

April 1931- A. P. J. SOEPNEL ET AL 1,801,119

WIRE FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 16, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F'Lgb.

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AN DRE PAUL JANSOEPNEL AND WILLEM HENDRIX STIGTER, 0] EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS, ASSIGNOBS'10 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATIONOI NEW YORK WIRE-FEEDINGMECHANISM Application filed February 16, 1926, Serial No. 88,691, and inthe Netherlands February 24, 1925.

sisting of a short length of wire for making a hermetical seal withglass and welded to another wire of different metal such as copper. I

One object of this invention isto supply automatically a predeterminednumber of wires from a mass or bundle of loose wires of definite length.A device constructed according to thisinvention comprises mechanism toseparate one or more of the wires from the mass and other mechanism topick up separately each one of the separated wires.

Themechanism to separate one ormore wires from the mass may consist ofone or more feed members with one or more notches and is attached to theoutlet of the hopper for the mass of wires. The feed members separateone or more wires from the mass and take the separated wires to a placewhere they are picked up by the pick-up mechanism. In this way everytime that one notch is underneath the hopper one of the wires from themass in the hopper is separated and taken along with the feed member. Ina practical form ofa device according to the invention one or more feedmembers or rods provided with one or more notches can move horizontallyin an outlet opening in the bottom of the hopper.

0 To insure good operation of a device constructed according to theinvention, the mass ofwires may be a itated. This may be done by makingone o the walls of the hopper for the mass of wiresmovable, andreciprocating this wall by means of a lever or similar apparatus. Theplace to which the wires are conveyed by the notched feed mem 'bers tobe picked up has by preference an inclined surface by which the wiresare lifted out of the notches. In this way the wires come into asuitable position where they can be seized by the pick up mechanisni.

If the wires'consist entirely or partly ofmagnetic material, theseparation can be brought about according to the invention by -means ofone or more magnets. These magnets draw a bundle of loose wires to aplate in which there is a hole through which only the required number ofwires can pass. De-

' vices are provided to draw through the hole and hold the wires thatcome in front of the hole. These devices may be made in such a way thatthe plate with the hole is located in a magnetic field by means of whicha certain number of wires are drawn through the hole. Another way,according to the invention, is to draw the wires through the hole bymeans of a vacuum which pulls them through the hole.

The wires can be drawn to the perforated plate, which is located in themagnetic field,

y this same magnetic field, or by a separate magnet. It is alsodesirable to excite the magnetic field intermittently. In this way theWires will drop back into their original position after having beendrawn to the plate and after one or more of the wires have beenseparated from the others. In order to prevent the separated wire fromdropping back with the others when the magnetic. field is removed somemeans, such as a vacuum, may be provided to hold the wire in thehole.

In one practical form of the invention a bundle of Wires is drawn from ahopper to the core of an electromagnet which is excited intermittentlyby a coil. In the core there is a hole and the intermittently excitedelec- V a conical recess having at the center a hole through which onlyacertain number of wires can pass.

Furthermore, it is advantageous to provide means by which the coil andthe electromagnet are moved to and from each other periodically. Thecoil and the electromagnet can be excited at the moment that they arenearest to each other. The distance between them can be made greaterwhen the magnetic field is removed, and the separated wire can then bereached more easily by the pick-up device.

A device constructedaccording to the invention has special advantageswhen it is applied to a machine for the manufacture of filament mountsof incandescent lamp and similar apparatus. In such a machine a stemtube, a glass rod, and an exhaust tube are fused together after havingthe leading-in Wires and the supporting wires for the filament or theelectrodes inserted in the stem tubing. This inserting may be done bymechanism comprising one or more devices for selecting the leading-inwires and the i which the wires are fed one at a time by reciprocatingfeed members; Fig. 2 is a side View, partly in cross section, of thedevice shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 show details of the pick-upmechanism; Fig. 5 is a front view of one of the hoppers for the wires;Fig. 6 is a front View of a device for selecting by electromagnets oneor more wires of magnetic materials from a mass of wires; Fig. 7 is aside view of the device shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a cross section alongthe line 1-111 in Fig. 6; Fig.9 is a detail of the contact mechanismwiich closes and opens the cir-- cuit through the windings of theelectromagnets; and Fig. is a plan view of the pick-up mechanism.

In this drawing Figs. 1 and 2 show a frame 1 to which a pedestal 2 isattached. This pedestal supports a cam-shaft- 3, which is driven by asprocket wheel 4 and a chain 5 and to which cams 6, 7, and 8, are keyedto actuate the various mechanism. The wire separating mechanismcomprises a plate 9 which is supported by the frame 1 and carries thehoppers 10 and 11 for holding a mass of loose wires. Each hopper has twoinclined walls 12 and 13 (Fig. 5) and is closed on one side bv a wall14. Each hopper 11 consists of twd side plates 15 and 16 between whichthere is a movable feed rod 17, surmounted by a plate 18. Each sideplate 15 and 16 has atriangular window 19 (Fig. 1) and the plate 18 isplaced in such a position that its edge together with the edges of thewindows 19 forms a hopper. The edges 19 and 20 slope toward each other,but do not meet, leaving at the bottom a space 21 through which a singlewire can drop on the feed rod 17. The plate 18 has a pin 22,which canmove in a slot 26 of the plate 15, and is engaged by the forked end 23of a lever 24 which can rock on a pivot 25 on the frame 1. The other endof thd lever 24 presses against the cam 6 on the shaft 3. The cam 6 hassuch a shape that its elevation 26 gives a vibrating motion to the lever24 against the tension of a spring 27, thereby making the plate 18 moveback and forth and shake ,the mass of wires held between the edges 19and 20.

To separate a wire from the mass in the hopper each feed rod 17 has anotch 28 and on its end carries a pin 29 engaged by a fork 30 which ispart of a lever 31 rotatable on a pivot 32 carried by supports 34 on theframe 1. Each lever 31 carries a roller 33 which presses against a cam 7on the shaft 3, and when the cam rotates it moves both the levers 31against the tension of a spring 118. This causes the feed rods 17 tomove forward and back. Because of this motion of the feed rods 17, everytime the notch 28 comes underneath the hopper 11 it receives a wire outof the hopper. The feed rod 17 carries the wire beneath the plates 15and 16, and as it moves further the wire is lifted out of the notch by afinger 35.

he wire is carried by the feed rod 17 to a place where it can be caughtby the pick-up mechanism, comprising a clamp 36 that can rotate on ashaft 37 (Figs. 3 and 4) supported by pedestals 38 bolted to theframe 1. The clamp 36 consists of a tubular member 39 which can rotateon a tube 40 which is keyed 011 the shaft 37. It has a bore 41containing a movable piece of steel 42 which is pressed against the tube40 by means of a spring 43. The tension of the spring canbe regulated bya set screw 44. The tubular member 39 also has a projection 45 to whichtwo clamping fingers 46 and 47 are attached. 'The finger 46 is rigid andthe finger 47 is pressed against the finger 46 by its own elasticity. Awedge 48 which is attached to the arms 49 can move between thosefingers. The arms 49 are mounted on the tube 40 which carries a pinion50 keyed to the shaft 37 The pinion 50 is driven by a rack 54 which is apart of'the rod 51 (Figs. 1 and 2) which is in turn held in a verticalposition by guide 42. The upper end of the rod 51 carries a roller 51'which presses against a cam 8 which is keyed,.on the shaft 3. In thisway the rack 54 is moved up and down vertically each time against thetension of the spring 119 and causes the pinion 50 and also.the tube 40to rotate. When the clamp is in the position shown in Fig. 2,that is,when one of the leading-in wires is caught in the clamp, rack 54 ismoved upwardly causing the rotation of wedge 48 by tube 40 and clampingfingers 46 and 47 through the frictional engagement between the piece ofsteel 42- and the tube 40. The wedge and the clamping fingers,therefore, do not change their position with regard to each other andthe clamping fingers remain closed and carry the wire along.

To release the picked up wire the frame 1 has a stop 53 which isadjustable and which stops the member 39 thereby preventing the clampsfrom rotating further. The rotation of the tube, however, continues andtherefore the wedge also continues moving, opening up the clampingfingers 46 and 47. The wire is thereupon released and dropped into therequired position by means of a device further and the clamping fingerswill close.

A device for selecting wires of magnetic material by means of magnets isshown in the Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

A frame 55 (Fig. 6) supports the pedestals 58 on which a cam shaft 59can rotate. This cam shaft is driven by means of a sprocket wheel 60 andchain 61 and carries the cams 62, 116, 98and 110 (Figs. 7 and 10) whichactuate the various mechanisms. The cam 62 moves a rack 63 which meshesin a sector of a pinion 64, which is a part of a lever 65 which engageswith its forked end 67 a pin 68. This pin is fastened to a rod 71 whichslides in guides 70. The rod 71 carries a crossbar 72 to which theelectromagnets 73 are so attached that they can be adjusted to variousheights by a set screw 106 (Fig. 7). The cam 62 moves the rack and thesector of the pinion against the tension of a spring 66. This causes therod 71 to move up and down which makes the magnets 73 move to and fromthe magnets 57 periodically. The magnets 57 are fastened to the support56 to which also the cups 74 are fastened.

, i The magnets 57 and 73 are excited by current in a circuit which isclosed and opened by means of a cam 116 (Fig. 9) and a contact 77. ThisContact is fastened to a sup port 78 which is insulated from the frame55.-

At the moment that the magnets 57 and 7 3 (Fig. 8) are near to eachother the current is sent through the windings and 79 of those magnetsmaking a strong magnetic field which lifts the wires up out of the cups74 to the core 80 of the magnet 73. In the center of the end of thiscore there is a conical depression 81 in which there is a hole 82 whichis just large enough for one wire to pass through and which alsocommunicates with the space 83. This space 83 is connected to a vacuumexhaust tube 117. The wires that have been attracted to the end 81 ofthe magnet will be contracted in front of the hole 82 on account of themagnetic force and of the conical form of the depression. One of thewires will be drawn through the hole either by the magnetic field or bythe vacuum. In order to prevent the wire being drawn too far into thetube a stop 85 is provided in the space 83. The wire, hits against itand part of it stays outside of the hole. When the circuit is open thebundle of wires will fall back again in the holder except for the wirewhich is in the hole of the core which will be held by the vacuum. Thenthe pick-up device can catch the wire.

To facilitate the picking up of the selected wire the supports 109(Figs. 7 and 10) are fastened to the frame 55 and carry two catchingdevices, consisting of rotatable arms 86 on which the jaws 87 and 88 canrotate. These jaws are mounted on small pinions 89 and 90 that mesh inthe rack 91. This rack is rigidly connected to a rod 111 which can moveback and forth through the supports 92 of the arm 86. By thisreciprocating motion the jaws 87 and 88 will be opened and closed. Arack 94 is attached to the other end of the rod and meshes in a pinion93 which is mounted on a shaft 108 which rotates in a pedestal 109.Underneath the shaft 108 there is a pinion 95 which is actuated by arack 114. The rack 114 is attached to a rod 96 which is guided by theguides 97 and the roller 99 of which is pressed against acam 110 by thespring 115. When the roller is not touching the cam 110 this spring willkeep the jaws 88 and 87 closed continuously. The arm 86 is rigidlyconnected to the tube 105, which has a pinion 100 actuated by a rack 112which is connected to a rod 101.

This rod 101 is guided in the guides 102 and has a roller 103 pressingagainst a cam 98. This cam moves the rod and the rack against thetension ofthe spring 113.

The pick-up device works as follows:

After one of the wires has been drawn through the hole 82 the cam 110moves the rack 114 to the right (Fig. 7). This causes the aws 88 and 87to close, catching the free end of the wire. After this the magnets 73are moved up and the wire will be pulled out of the hole by the jaws.Then the cam 98 acutatesthe rack 112 which causes the arms 86 to rotateand to carry the wire to the desired place. During this motion theroller 99 runs off the cam 110 and the jaws will remain closed by the,tension of the spring 115. When the wire arrives at the desired placethe aws will be opened by the cam 110. After this the arms are movedback again to the place where they pick up the wires from the magnets.

It will be understood that the invention is not confined to the examplewhich is described, but that many variations can be applied to theconstruction, all of which will be covered by the claims of theinvention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is: 1. In a device of the character described,

' the combination of feed mechanism comprising, means for producing amagnetic flux concentrated on an individual wire to separate it from aloose mass of wires, pick-up mechanism for picking up each separatedwire individually, and common actuating means for said mechanisms.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pick-upmechanism for picking up individual wires, a feed mechanism forseparating an individual wire from a. loose mass of wires comprising ahopper with-an outlet for said loose mass and a notched feed membermovable across said outlet to separate an individual wire from the massin the hopper and carry it within range of said pick-up mechanism andcommon actuating means for said mechanisms and said feed member.

3. In a device of the character described,

. the combination of 'a pick-up mechanism and a feed mechanismcomprising a hopper for holding a loose mass of wires and having anoutlet, a reciprocating feed rod provided with a notch and movable tocarry said notch across the outlet of said hopper to separate anindividual wire from the mass in the hopper and carry it within range ofsaid pick-up mechanism, and common actuating means for said mechanismand said feed rod.

4. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a pick-up mechanism and a feed mechanism comprising ahopper for holding a loose mass of wires and having an outlet, means foragitating the mass of wires in said hopper, a feed member cooperatingwith said outlet to separate individual wires from the mass in saidhopper and carry them within range of said pick-up mechanism and meansfor actuating said mechanism and said feed members in synchronism.

5. In a deviceof the character described, the combination of a pick-upmechanism for individual Wires, a feed mechanism for a loose mass ofwires comprising a hopper having an outlet and a movable wall, a

notched feed member cooperating with said outlet to separate individualwires from the mass in the hopper, and common actuating means foractuating said pickup mechanism and said feed member, and for movingsaid movable wall of the hopper.

6. In a device of the character described, a feed mechanism comprising ahopper for a loose mass of wires and having an outlet, a movable notchedfeed member cooperating with said outlet to separate individual wiresfrom said mass in the hopper and carry them to a delivery point, and aninclined delivery member mounted adjacent the path of said feed memberin position to lift the separated wire out of the notch in said feedmember at the delivery point.

7. In a device of the character described, a feed mechanism forseparating individual wires from a loose mass of wires comprising aperforated member and means for producing a magnetic field to draw theends of a bundle of wires to said member and further draw an individualwire through the perforation in said member.

8. In a device of the character described, a, feed mechanism forseparating individual wires from a loose mass of wires of magneticmaterial comprising a member perforated by a hole of a bore slightlylarger than one of said wires, and means for producing a magnetic fieldwhich will draw the ends of said wires into engagement with said member11nd one of said wires into the hole in said member.

9. In a device of the character described, a feed mechanism forseparating individual wires from a loose mass of wires comprising aperforated plate, means for producing a magnetic field for drawing theends of said Wires to said plate, and a vacuum connection to theperforation in said plate.

10. In a device of the character described, a feed mechanism forseparating individual wires from a loose mass of wires comprising aplate perforated by a hole slightly larger than the wires, a magnetadjacent said plate to produce a magnetic field which will draw the endsof said wires to said plate, a vacuum connection to the hole in saidplate, and means for alternately exciting said magnet and producing avacuum in said connection.

11. In a device of the character described, a feed mechanism for loosewires comprising an electromagnet having a core with a longitudinal holeslightly larger than the diameter of a wire, a coil in inductiverelation to said core, and means for intermittently energizing said coilto produce a magnetic field which will attract the wires to said coreand pull one of them into the hole in said core.

12. In a device of the character described, a

feed mechanism for loose wires comprising an electromagnet having acorewith a conical recess in its end and a hole at the bottom of therecess slightly larger than the diameter of one of said wires, and meansfor energizing said electromagnet to produce a magnetic field which willdraw the ends of a bundle of said wires into said conical recess andfurther draw one of said wires into said hole.

13. In a feed mechanism of the character described for feeding loosewires, the combination of an electromagnet having a core with alongitudinal hole slightly larger than the diameter of one of .thewires, a coil mounted to be movable toward and away from saidelectromagnet, and means for periodically moving said core and saidelectromagnet toward and away from each other and intermittentlyexciting said coil and said electromagnet' to produce a magnetic fieldwhich attracts the wires to the end of the core of the electromagnet andalso draws one of said wires into said hole.

14. In a device of the character described the combination of a pick upmechanism for picking up individual wires, a feed mecha nism forseparating an individual wire from a loose mass of wires comprising ahopper for the mass of wires, means for selecting and lifting anindividual wire from the mass of wires in said hopper and bringing itwithin the range of said pick up mechanism, and common actuating meansfor said mechanisms.

15. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pick upmechanism for picking up individual wires, a feed mechanism forseparating an individual wire from a loose mass of wires comprising ahopper for the mass of wires, a wire selector member for selecting andlifting an individual wire from the mass of wires in said hopper andmovable to carry said selected wire within range of said pick upmechanism, and common actuating means for said pick up mechanism andsaid selector member.

16. In a device of the character described, a feed mechanism forseparating individual wires from a loose mass of wires comprisingcollecting means for assembling from said mass a plurality of wires andholding said assembled wires loosely sideby side in a bundle, selectingmeans for lifting some of said wire lengthwise from said bundle, andcommon actuating mean for operating said collecting means and saidselecting means in sequence.

17. In a device of the character described a feed mechanism forseparating individual wires from a loose mass of wires comprisingcollecting means for producing a magnetic field to lift from said mass aplurality of wires in a loose bundle, selecting means for engaging theend of said bundle to extract some of said wires from said bundle, andcommon actuating means for operating said collecting means and saidselecting means in sequence.

18. In a device of thecharacter described, a feed mechanism forseparating individual wires from a loose mass of wires comprising wireselecting means for drawing a wire endwise from a loose bundle of wires,collecting means for gathering from said mass a loose bundle of wireswith the end of said bundle 1n operative relation to said selectingmeans and common actuating means for actuating said collecting means andsaid selecting means in sequence.

19. In a device of the character described, the combination of means forholding loose wires side by side in a mass, and means comprlsing anoutlet and a magnet adjacent said outlet for selecting and drawing anindividual wire of said mass endwise from said mass.

20. In a device of the character described, I

it endwise

